The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 1 of 4

234 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
and the Gospel, do you find me to be a prophet?" The man answered, "We do
find a description of you and of your place of origin. When you came, we hoped
you would be one of us. But when we saw you we knew that you were not he."
The Messenger of God (SAAS) then asked, "Why is that, 0 Jew?" He replied,
"We find it to he written down that, 'There will enter paradise from his nation
70,000'. But with you we see only a few men."
The Messenger of God (SAAS) then responded, "My nation is far greater in
number than 70,000, and 70,000 more again."
This is a unique hadith from such a source, and they (the scholars) have not
promulgated it.
Muhammad b. Ishaq stated, from Salii, the freed-man of 'Ahd Allah b.
Mupc, from Aha Hurayra who said that some Jews came to the Messenger of
God (SAAS) who said, "Bring out your most knowledgeable man." They
replied, "He is 'Abd Allah b. Sariya." The Messenger of God (SAAS) sat with
hi alone and adjured h i by his religion and by God's blessings to them, by
God who had fed them with manna and quails and shaded them with clouds.
"Do you know me as the Messenger of God?" the Prophet (SAAS) asked. "Yes
indeed, by God," the Jew responded. 'LAnd my people know what I know. You
are fully apparent in the Torah. But they are envious."
"So what prevents you (from believing)?" he asked.
"I just hate to disagree with my people," the Jew replied. "Maybe they will
follow you and accept Islam, then I will."
Salama b. al-Fad1 stated, from Muhammad b. Ishaq, from Muhammad b.
Aba Muhammad, from 'Ikrima, from Ibn 'Abbas, to the effect that he used to
say that the Messenger of God (SAAS) wrote to the Jews of Khaybar as follows,
"In the name of God the most merciful and beneficent, from Muhammad, the
Messenger of God, the companion and brother of Moses and the corroborator of
the message Moses brought. God stated to you, '0 Jews, people of the Torah,
you will find in your hook the fact that Muhammad is the Messenger of God; and
those who are with him are violent against unbelievers, compassionate among
themselves. You see them bowing down and prostrating themselves, desiring
grace and approval from God. They have marks on their faces from the effects
of prostration. That is how they are compared in the Torah and in the Gospel.
(They are) like a plant that emits its shoot, then strengthens it so that it thickens
and stands straight on its stem. He (God) gives the sowers delight so that
He may enrage through them the unbelievers. God has promised forgiveness
and great reward to those of them who believe and do good' (stirat al-Fath,
XLVII, v.29). I adjure you by God by that which has come down to you, and
by Him who fed manna and quails to your forebears and tribes, who dried
up the sea for your forefathers to save you from Pharaoh and his deeds, can you
not tell us whether you find in God's revelations to you (the fact) that you